We were in this area a year and a half ago and we wanted to revisit some places but also find other interesting features here (review is here). Nearby Vogt Farms advertised a Hanging Plant festival on Mother’s Day weekend so we decided to check it out. They have a greenhouse with many beautiful flowers and (true to the name) were mostly hanging baskets. There was a stage coach, horse drawn carriage rides, and several interesting animals including a camel, a lama, pot belly pigs, and pigmy goats. It was a fun way to spend an hour or so.

In Batesville checked out the Schmidt Bakery. It’s a local landmark and we highly recommend it!

We visited Metamora, Indiana when we were here before. At that time they were having their big canal festival and there were so many people there that you could hardly walk through the town. This time we went on a weekday and things were just the opposite with most shops closed and very few people around. The mill was open though with fresh ground cornmeal and grits for sale. This historic town was once a stop on the White Water Canal. Even as the canal project was being completed the railroad came to the area, making the canal boats obsolete. The town draws tourism through a variety of events throughout the year. We especially enjoyed looking around Grannie’s Cookie Jar and Ice Cream with their amazing collection of cookie jars.

The Franklin County Quilt Show in Brookville, IN. was very interesting. There was wide variety of entries but all amazing. Everything from bed and crib size to wall hangings and jackets. I especially enjoyed a demonstration called “Bed Turning”. Several special quilts were layered on a beautiful wood bed and two ladies held them up very carefully as their history was told. Most had been made by family members and handed down. One of the quilts is dated 1857 and was made by the exhibitor’s great grandmother. Another that interested me was the Bow Tie Quilt. These were used along the Underground Railroad before and during the Civil War to send coded messages.

Another beautiful town nearby is Oldenburg, IN which known as “The Village of Spires.” There are, indeed, many impressive steeples around town. There is a beautiful historic section with many old original buildings from the 1800s. We enjoyed eating at Brau Haus restaurant. We missed the lunch special since it was sold out but the pork tenderloin sandwich with red cabbage was very good and big enough to be shared.